How to Host a Website for Free Using Cloudflare Pages

Cloudflare Pages is a free and powerful platform for deploying static websites. It offers fast performance, global content delivery, and seamless Git integration, making it an ideal choice for developers, personal blogs, and portfolio sites.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to host your website for free using Cloudflare Pages, from setup to deployment.

1. What Is Cloudflare Pages?

Cloudflare Pages is a JAMstack deployment platform designed for static websites. It offers:

Free hosting with unlimited bandwidth.
Global CDN (Content Delivery Network) for fast load times worldwide.
Automatic SSL/TLS encryption for secure connections.
Built-in DDoS protection and caching.
Seamless GitHub and GitLab integration for automatic deployments.

Cloudflare Pages is best for sites built with:

HTML, CSS, JavaScript (static sites).
Next.js, Astro, Hugo, Jekyll, SvelteKit, and other static site generators.

2. Prerequisites

Before deploying a site on Cloudflare Pages, make sure you have:

✅ A GitHub or GitLab account (for version control). ✅ A static website project (or create a simple one using HTML). ✅ A Cloudflare account (sign up at Cloudflare).

3. Deploying a Website to Cloudflare Pages

Step 1: Log in to Cloudflare and Create a New Project

Go to Cloudflare Pages.
Click “Create a Project”.
Select “Connect to Git” and authorize Cloudflare to access your GitHub or GitLab repository.
Choose your repository and click “Begin Setup”.

Step 2: Configure Build Settings

Set your Project Name (this will be your default subdomain: yourproject.pages.dev).
Choose the correct Build Configuration:

If you’re deploying plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, set the Framework Preset to None.
If using a framework like Next.js or Astro, Cloudflare will auto-detect settings.
For more specific information on setting up your project with different frameworks, check out Cloudflare’s official guides here.

Specify the Build Command (if applicable), for example:

For Astro: npm run build
For Next.js (Static Export): next build && next export

Set the Output Directory:

For most projects: /dist or /public
For Next.js: out

Step 3: Deploy the Website

Click “Save and Deploy”.
Cloudflare will automatically build and deploy your site.
Once complete, your site will be live at:

https://yourproject.pages.dev

4. Connecting a Custom Domain

To use a custom domain (e.g., yourwebsite.com), follow these steps:

Go to Cloudflare Pages → Your Project → Custom Domains.
Click “Add Custom Domain” and enter your domain name.
If your domain is on Cloudflare DNS, Cloudflare will configure it automatically.
If using an external registrar, update your domain’s DNS records:

Set a CNAME record pointing to yourproject.pages.dev.

Wait for the DNS changes to propagate (usually within minutes).
Your website will now be accessible via your custom domain.

5. Automating Deployments with Git

Every time you push changes to your GitHub repository, Cloudflare automatically redeploys your website.

Best Practices for Deployment Automation

Commit changes to the main branch for automatic deployment.
Use a preview branch for staging environments before deploying to production.
Enable CI/CD workflows in GitHub Actions for custom build steps.

6. Performance Optimization on Cloudflare Pages

Cloudflare provides several built-in optimizations to improve site speed and performance.

A. Enable Automatic Caching

Cloudflare automatically caches static assets like CSS, JavaScript, and images, reducing load times.

Go to Cloudflare Dashboard → Caching.
Set “Cache Everything” for static files.
Use “Edge Cache TTL” for longer storage.

B. Enable Brotli Compression

Brotli reduces file size by up to 30% compared to traditional Gzip.

In Cloudflare Dashboard, go to Speed → Optimization.
Enable Brotli Compression for better performance.

C. Use Cloudflare Workers for Dynamic Content

For advanced use cases, Cloudflare Workers allow you to add serverless functions to handle dynamic logic.

Example: Redirecting users based on location.
Example: API rate limiting without a backend server.

7. Securing Your Website

Security is built-in with Cloudflare Pages, but here are extra steps you can take:

A. Enforce HTTPS

Cloudflare automatically provides free SSL/TLS encryption, ensuring secure HTTPS connections.

In Cloudflare Dashboard, go to SSL/TLS Settings.
Set “Always Use HTTPS” to redirect all traffic to secure connections.

B. Protect Against DDoS Attacks

Cloudflare’s global DDoS protection prevents malicious traffic from taking down your site.

Go to Cloudflare Dashboard → Security.
Enable DDoS Protection Mode.

C. Enable Hotlink Protection

To prevent other websites from stealing your images, enable Hotlink Protection:

In Cloudflare Dashboard → Scrape Shield.
Toggle Hotlink Protection ON.

8. Troubleshooting Common Issues

A. Site Not Updating After Deployment?

Clear cache in Cloudflare Dashboard → Caching → Purge Cache.
Ensure the correct output directory is set in Cloudflare Pages settings.

B. Custom Domain Not Working?

Double-check DNS records in your domain provider’s settings.
Use Cloudflare’s diagnostic tool to test domain configuration.

C. Build Failing?

Check build logs in Cloudflare Pages → Deployments for error messages.
Ensure all dependencies (Node.js, npm, yarn) are correctly configured in your package.json.

9. Why Choose Cloudflare Pages Over Other Free Hosting Options?

Feature	Cloudflare Pages	GitHub Pages	Netlify
Free Hosting	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Automatic SSL	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Global CDN	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
Serverless Functions	✅ Yes (Workers)	❌ No	✅ Yes
Custom Domains	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Unlimited Bandwidth	✅ Yes	❌ No (1GB)	❌ No (100GB)

Cloudflare Pages is faster and more flexible, making it a top choice for hosting static sites.

Conclusion

Cloudflare Pages provides free, fast, and secure hosting for static websites with automatic Git deployments, built-in security, and a global CDN. Whether you’re launching a personal blog, portfolio, or open-source project, Cloudflare Pages is a reliable and scalable solution.

Key Takeaways

✔ Free hosting with unlimited bandwidth. ✔ GitHub/GitLab integration for automated deployments. ✔ Global CDN and SSL for fast and secure websites. ✔ Easy setup for custom domains.

Start hosting your website for free today at Cloudflare Pages.

Disclaimer

This article is not sponsored, endorsed, or affiliated with Cloudflare in any way. It is an independent piece created for informational purposes only, based on my own experience and research. All opinions expressed are my own, and I do not receive any compensation from Cloudflare for writing this.

Article written with the help of AI.